How much training do I need?

[Hurdoc]

I'm brand spanking new to JKD and the reason I ask the above question is that there is only one instructor of JKD in my area. He doesnt have a school but teaches out of his home. I attended a few classes and he is a very pleasant man and teaches well. The catch is that he charges $20 per hour of instruction. He seems nice enough and may go down on his rate (I haven't pressed the issue), however I am wondering how many hours/week or month are necessary for "adequate" JKD training?
The alternative is an American Kempo/Modern Arnis school in the vicinity (only $50/month). I really, really like the JKD instruction and it is private instruction, but I'm not sure how much I can afford.
Any input would be greatly appreciated!

 

[James Kovacich]

Where are you located? There really are a lot of instructors out there that do not advertise. Maybe someone in here can set you up.

:asian:

 

[KennethKu]

Originally posted by Hurdoc
I'm brand spanking new to JKD and the reason I ask the above question is that there is only one instructor of JKD in my area. He doesnt have a school but teaches out of his home. I attended a few classes and he is a very pleasant man and teaches well. The catch is that he charges $20 per hour of instruction. He seems nice enough and may go down on his rate (I haven't pressed the issue), however I am wondering how many hours/week or month are necessary for "adequate" JKD training?
The alternative is an American Kempo/Modern Arnis school in the vicinity (only $50/month). I really, really like the JKD instruction and it is private instruction, but I'm not sure how much I can afford.
Any input would be greatly appreciated!

Some of Bruce Lee's original students still teach for little or nothing. This guy must think very much of himself. No matter how good he is, it is no where near $20/hr. JKD is just a method of training for martial art. You learn the method and then use it to learn other arts. I realize that 99% of the JKD affiliated people disagree with me on this one. My view threatens their business.

 

[don bohrer]

Hurdoc,

I would suggest you train with an instructor 3 times a week. That would give you two days to work on stuff you've learned and one day for new material. A 20 spot to train each hour is a bit pricey. That's out of my price range.

 

[OULobo]

While I think $20/hr is high, I have seen good, not great, instructors charge much more. I think you can gain a lot of knowledge from interacting with a group. It lets you examine the dynamics of other people's style and energy, not to mention the comraderie of your class mates. I would mix. Try multiple days at the Kempo/arnis school and maybe a two hour set once a week with the JKD teacher. Just my $.02.

 

[Cthulhu]

Are there others training with you? Train for an hour a week, and then get together with others (minus the instructor) and work on what you've learned on your own time.

$20 an hour is steep. Who did he receive his certification from?

Cthulhu

 

[sercuerdasfigther]

how much of the knowledge are you going to be able to retain and use of that $20/hour. your going to be spending most of your time practicing what he taught you. I train escrima in one on one lessons and pay $90/month, i train every day for 3-5 hours. if the person teaching you is for real , it's not about the money to them. ask the guy to lower the rate, or else go find a commerical school( you'll usual pay $90/month for 2 hour classes twice a week, about $5 /hour).

 

[twinkletoes]

How much training do you need?

How much do you want?

Seriously, though, what are your goals? It makes a world of difference.

~TT

 

[Mormegil]

Well to put things into perspective, if you did 2 classes a week, that's $80 a month.

That's comparable to a lot of places with class instruction twice a week. The school I'm attending charges $85 a month for twice a week (and it's a very reputable school).

If you consider yourself "hardcore" and want to be an instructor, you will need to do more than that. If you're a "hobbiest" like me, then 2x a week might be fine. Then finding a school might be more helpful, as then tend to charge less per class the more classes you take.

Hope this helps

 

[Mormegil]

Originally posted by Mormegil
Well to put things into perspective, if you did 2 classes a week, that's $80 a month.

Er, pardon my math. That's $160 a month. So I guess it's not that comparable.

D'oh

What if you di da semi-private. You and a friend.

 

[michaeledward]

$20.00 per hour for private instruction is probably a good deal. As a private guitar instructor (with a B.A. in music), my fee was $12.50 per half hour 15 years ago ($25.00 per hour). . . . . If teaching privately, even at these rates, it is very difficult to make a living. . . . . . If it is $20.00 per group lesson, how many in the group? how much individual attention will you receive? how often does the instructor recommend you attend class? . . . . . I think you need to answer these questions to see if you are getting your money's worth.

For what it's worth, I pay $150.00 per month for two adult students participating in group lessons, and our studio schedule has 9 different lesson times we can attend each week. (The fee doesn't change whether we attend once a week, or nine times a week).

 

[sercuerdasfigther]

yes but guitar you can practice alone and hear if your doing it right, ma is a different animal.

 

[MA-Caver]

IMHO you should train til you're satisfied with the amount recieved and the knowledge gained. This may take your whole life depending upon who you are. Remember that JKD is the combination of different arts/styles creating one that is just right for you. I learned a myriad of differnt MA before finally realizing what I was doing was learning that which Lee was teaching himself after he left Yip Man and Wing Chun.
Study and practice often and never be afraid to broaden your experiences/training/knowledge.

IMHO
:asian:

 

[ufsofpa]

First of all, like i said to others before, check his certificates and find out who he is certified under. Do your research and make sure he is legit. Secondly, you need training, but dont rush it, it will come over time. What Im saying is if he is legit train with once a week, and see if he will let you record your sessions so you have visible reference material, or take anotebook and write down what you worked on. Another point is, when I train my guys, I write down what I plan on going over, ie- 3 mitt drills, punching and kicking drills and some traps. I work on those for amonth, nothing more added, then after training with dead drills for a month, then I move onto liveness with the drills, and then spar at 40 to 50% to ingrain them in my neurological system. After two months, then move on. I took that concept from Guru Dan and my JKD instructor.

Ask questions, by some books, and videos. Disect them and ask him questions during your hour of training. So train with once aweek or once every two weeks. That way you have time to process and train what you learned. Then go and sign up at the Arnis school.SInce FMA is a part of JKD, todays JKD, it will help you out more than ever. So if you can afford it, do both . They go hand in hand. Good luck